Climate Crisis: Extinction Rebellion

I recently recorded a podcast about the climate crisis where I made the point that we should not think about innovation versus activism, we need both. In fact the level and speed of innovation that is required if we want to have any chance, can only be achieved if we make massive changes at the collective level (e.g. a $100+ per ton tax on carbon dioxide). Earlier in this series about the climate crisis, I wrote about the growing youth movement, today’s post is about another rapidly growing movement called Extinction Rebellion.

Extinction Rebellion was founded less than a year ago by Roger Hallam and Gail Bradbrook and has spread around the world since and has a strong New York presence. There are many factors that make Extinction Rebellion different but the crucial one is its theory of change, which is rooted in civil disobedience, drawing lessons from the civil rights movement in the United States, as well as other non-violent protest movements. The key insight here is that with time running out, non-violent direct action is the only viable fast path to change as only a small fraction of the population (3-4%) needs to participate actively.

Extinction Rebellion also has three demands that are fit for the magnitude of the crisis in their clarity and boldness:

1. Tell the truth: Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.

2. Act now: Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2025.

3. Change politics: Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice.

Each of these makes sense on their own but they also work well in concert with each other. To understand “tell the truth,” consider my post on the “Alien Invasion Analogy.” The call to act now with a dramatic short term goal is about mobilizing all of our resources, the way we did during World War II. The third point is about staying democratic while also short circuiting the current political deadlock – not just on climate but just about everything else. This applies equally well to the United States as to the United Kingdom where Extinction Rebellion got going.

I encourage everyone to watch one of Extinction Rebellion’s “Heading for Extinction” talks. These talks have two parts. First, a summary of the science which points to an extinction level event and second, an explanation of Extinction Rebellion’s principles, demands and theory of change. You can find these talks on Youtube, but also via your local Extinction Rebellion group. Here is the talk from Oxford